Today is a guest post by our Youth Pastor, Kevin Namur.

There is nothing like seeing the next generation in action! This past Sunday 217church spent the afternoon delivering thanksgiving baskets to families in the Bromley community, our partner neighborhood. As we went door to door delivering dinner to the families, we asked for the ages of all the children in their household in preparation for our Christmas toyland, and if we could pray with them for their greatest need. As I walked the streets with our students, I was encouraged to see how passionate they were about serving the community. Eventually we met a woman named Clairmita. She asked for prayer for healing from her chronic body pain. She invited all of us into her home and shared with us her greatest need. I watched as the students immediately joined hands with her and began to pray for healing.  It was truly beautiful to see. Not only the blessing she had experienced, but the look in the students eyes as they lit up with more energy and passion to pray for those in need. I realized more than ever, our next generation doesn’t want to be told and taught generosity, they want to experience and live it out in a tangible way. They want to see and be generosity in action.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Mark 10:45

As I walked away from Clairmita’s house with our students, I began to ask God to remind me how we all got to a place where we felt empowered enough to enter someone’s home and pray for healing for a woman we had just met. I realized that over the last 2 years together as a youth ministry, God had walked us all through a process understanding 3 of the most powerful prayers anyone could ever pray.

3 Powerful Prayers

1. God, show me what you see

I prayed this prayer 2 years ago in my living room while praying for our HS youth ministry.  The Lord showed me a generation hungry for authenticity, ownership, and the opportunity to make a difference. We made a decision last year in our High School ministry to move to a small group centric model. Students would now meet regularly in homes and we saw them begin to open up their hearts and their bibles more than ever before. We started with the idea that we were a family. We began to pray for one another on a weekly basis and created an environment where leaders poured into our students.  Our students were hungry to see what God saw in the hearts of the youth of our community.  We began inviting more friends to be a part of our family and now our groups are multiplying. All because of a simple yet powerful prayer. “God, show me what you see.”

2. Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours

I prayed this prayer in June and He responded with this phrase, “In order to reach those that no one is reaching, you must do things that no one is doing.”  So we reached out to Urban Promise Trenton and prayed that God would create a powerful partnership between us for His glory. Urban Promise has a heart to build leadership and strong faith in Christ in the hearts of the next generation.  God responded. The students at Urban Promise have become a part of our church family and this year we’ve been caring for one another, building relationships throughout the week, and holding each other accountable more than ever. We have encountered Jesus together in a way that has made us all realize how broken His heart is to see us and others broken.

 3. Holy Spirit, give me the boldness to do your work

This is the prayer I am challenged with today. It’s the one I began to see Him answer on Sunday as I served alongside our students. We now see what God sees when we pray together and for one another. Our hearts are now breaking for those in need. Now I believe God is bringing us through a season where we are beginning to receive the boldness to do things we have never done before. We are looking forward to serving families in Trenton for our Christmas service project this year. As a ministry we are asking God to redirect us in any way He wants to ensure we continue to see what He sees, break for what He breaks for, and have the boldness to do what He calls us to do.

This should be the cry of all of our hearts as Christ followers at 217church. Especially in this season of the year where practical needs can be met so easily, I pray you would dare to adopt these 3 prayers in your daily life. Why? Because at one point the Son of God saw what His Father saw here on earth. Not only did His heart break but His body broke to save us all from sin. God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit gave Him the boldness to endure the cross. And He rose again victorious over sin so that we could have life forever with Him. He also left us with a clear calling: To do what He did and to be to this earth what He was. HOPE. Will you walk into His calling for your life by beginning to pray these 3 prayers? “God show me what you see.  Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours.  Holy Spirit, give me the boldness to do your work.”

Which of these prayers is the hardest for you and why?